The Runaway Brigade
by unfoldingbliss
Summary: [Unrelated drabbles about the Runaways, leaning towards the humorous, romantic side with bouts of angst] Drabble #24: Roy's going out to meet a certain someone, and has to pull in some favors to get Lian off his hands.
1. Your Valentine (A Few Days Late)

"C'mon, can't these thing go any faster?" Virgil grumbled at the trash lid underneath his feet, the electric currents dodging him in and out of various alleyways in Metropolis. It was strangely quiet for being a Saturday night, but he figured that that had to do with the fact that yesterday had been the annual lovefest extravaganza of the year: Valentine's Day. And of course, like an idiot, he'd completely forgotten. Sure, he'd been on a mission mere hours ago, but the least he could have done was call! There had been a few hours of downtime during the stakeout on the warehouse facility and what had he done instead of calling his beau? Played cards for two hours straight with Beast Boy. Man, Richie always told him he was such a scatterbrain, but he hadn't been willing to believe him until now.

When he finally made it to their apartment complex, he jumped off the lid and scurried into the revolving doors. He didn't bother going up the escalator - that piece of junk was still to slow to catch up with his feet. Instead, his legs carried him up the stairs in record time, his heart hammering as he fumbled for his keys in his back pocket and shakily opening the door.

"Sam!" he yelled through the loud whoosh of the door, "You here?"

"Yes, Virgil!" came his girlfriend's response from the left, seemingly unfazed by his dramatic entrance, "I am in the kitchen."

"Oh good," he took a deep sigh before closing the door behind him and rushing towards the kitchen, "Look, babe, before you say anything, I know I'm an idiot and I know that even if I was on a mission I should have called because you grew up with Valentine's Day as a pretty big part of your life and that means it needs to be a big part of mine and I know this doesn't excuse it, but I bought - "

He stopped mid-sentence, nearly dropping the bouquet of white and yellow roses he was about to reference. Laid before his very eyes was an intimate dinner setting for two, complete with candlelight. The table was covered with a dark red cloth and on it were various plates of his favorite appetizers and two cups of red wine. There was also a small box in the center that was most likely her annual gift of homemade chocolates, something he could never get tired of.

But his eyes soon wandered to his smiling beau, dressed in a sleek black dress and hair tied up in a braided bun. She walked up to him and pressed her soft lips into his chapped cheek, "Happy Valentine's Day, Virgil."

"I don't understand," Virgil shook his head as she led his to the table to sit, "You should be yelling at me. I've never forgotten before and it's such a big thing for you..."

"You were on a mission," Asami waved him off, taking the chair opposite to him, "And I believe that takes priority over a little thing like this."

"No, Sam..." he took a hold of her hands, squeezing them a little as his throat went dry, "I should've remember. We've been going out for three years now and it's inexcusable for me to forget. I'll make this up to you, Asami. I promise. Especially after you made such a great dinner for me as soon as I got home."

All Asami did was giggle, pulling away from him and dipping an egg roll into a dish of teriyaki sauce, "Whatever you say, Virgil. All that matters is you are here now. Now! Eat up before it gets cold."

She leaned in close and pressed the dripping, fried delicacy against his lips, to which Virgil bit into eagerly. The taste was delightful, tangy, and had Virgil going in for another mouthful. How on earth did he manage to get so lucky? "God, I love you."

She grinned, exposing white teeth in-between her red lipstick, "_Aishiteru_ right back at you, Static."


	2. Last Friday Night

"Ugh…" Roy moaned, his head starting to pound as soon as his eyes opened to the fierce morning sunlight outside his bedroom window. His legs seemed to be intertwined with bare skin, an arm wrapped tightly around his waist. For a second, he smiled, fingers tracing circles on the dark skin. Maybe last night hadn't ended as bad as he -

"_Hermano,_ stop moving around," Eduardo groaned against his ear, "Some of us are trying to sleep through the hangover."

"ED?!" Roy screamed, shooting up from out of the covers despite the pain resounding across his head and neck, "What the _hell_ are you doing in my bed?"

"Huh?" Eduardo rubbed his eyes open and Roy did his best to deny the fact his friend was naked and _oh shit_, were those hickeys on his shoulder? "You don't remember anything?"

"No," Roy replied, stumbling towards the door and fumbling with the knob, "And I don't think I want to."

"Hey, Harper," Ed stretched out his hand, "Wait, I don't think -"

But before he could get the words out, Roy whipped the door open, rushing towards the bathroom. However, his gaze caught sight of Tye and Asami lying on top of one another on the couch, faces splattered in orange and green glitter, and he paused to moan again.

"God, this isn't even my house," Roy seethed.

"You're telling me," Jade's sultry musing traveled from the kitchen and Roy turned to see her smiling deviously, cooking up what seemed to be a batch of bisquick pancakes, "You're lucky Roy is on a mission, Arsenal."

"Where's Virgil?" Roy sighed, making his way to the stool near the kitchen counter.

"I sent him out for eggs and sausage," Jade shrugged as she fed a spoonful of oatmeal to the toddler Lian, bubbly as ever in her high chair, "He didn't seem…_preoccupied_ with anyone else."

"Please tell me that what I woke up to wasn't what I woke up to," Roy pleaded, "Tell me I didn't celebrate the defeat of the Reach with your vodka and consequently made out with Ed."

"I could tell you that," Jade smirked, flipping the pancakes over, "But then I'd be lying. And please, little Roy, don't be so naive. I'm sure you did more than make out with your cute new boyfriend."

"He's _not_ my boyfriend," Roy growled as Lian burst into another fit of giggles.


	3. AU - Lanterns Corp

"What do you mean_ if_ we can find a way to save him?" Tye asked, his face twisting into a scowl, the red ring around his finger burning brighter with each word spat, "We_ are_ going to save him. That's my friend you're talking about. If anyone has a say in what's going to happen to him, it's me."

"Look, Tye, I know you and Jaime have been tight since forever," Virgil tried to remain calm, eyes darting warily towards his other comrades in a desperate plea for assistance, "But you have to accept the possibility that he may not come back. That the Reach have him under their power and they won't give him up. We can't put the Earth or the entire galaxy at risk because of who you used to know."

"He's right,_ hermano_," Eduardo took a firm hold of Tye's shoulder, "You may love him, but that love may not be returned anymore. It may have dissolved into something dark…something unsalvageable."

"How can you say that?" Tye jerked away, tears of frustration welling up in his eyes, "Aren't you one of Earth's guardians of love? And you Virgil, you're a Green Lantern! You understand the battle of will more than anyone. Jaime can beat this. I know he can! Sam, please tell me you're on my side?"

The lone blue lantern leaned against the doorway, gaze downcast and lips swollen. Tye walked towards her, reaching out to take both of her hands, "_Please_, Asami. Say you're on my side. He's my best friend."

"_Tye-kun_," she choked out, anticipating the betrayal that would soon seethe from her boyfriend, "Sometime….cannot find hope…only dark in heart."

The red lantern shook his head, backing away from Asami, "No…you can't mean that. He's - he can still be saved! _You hear me_! I'll save him - with or without any of you!"

He ran out of the ship before any of them could convince him otherwise, blasting off into the thick of space, in search of a friend no longer there.


	4. Think About Always

"_Dios Mio_, I ran away from home and was abducted by asshole aliens!" Eduardo growled inside in his room, tossing his newly purchased soccer ball up towards the ceiling, "And I can't ask out a pretty girl! _Que pasa conmigo?_"

The soccer ball dropped into his chest with soft thump and he let out a long, shaky sigh, running a hand through his thick hair. This was simply embarrassing. He'd spent two months with her now - learning her basic body language, what made her smile and laugh, when it was time to back off a particular conversation, so on and so forth. He knew her and she knew him and he had a hunch that she reciprocated he's not-so-subtle affections. But why couldn't he just go and fess up? Rejection was always a threat, but he'd be turned down before by girls before. Quite a few had agreed, however. And he'd never been this nervous about dating previously.

Maybe it had to do with the language barrier. Asami was learning English through a very competent tutor handpicked by Luthor himself, yet there was still much progress to be made before she could hold a steady conversation with the other three. Or maybe it had to do with threatening the dynamic of the group - they were all friends. What would happen if tried to step up and date their only female companion? Would Tye and Virgil be jealous? Angry? Worried? Sure, Virgil talked about a girl named Frieda often and Tye always had stories to share about someone called Brenda, but were they just friends or something more?

"Gah, why bother?" Ed groaned, turning over and sighing yet again into his fluffy red pillow. There was no point in thinking this over if he didn't try in the first place. And he was sure if he didn't ask, lingering regrets would curl into his shoulders and sink into his chest, fantasies of any sort with the wistful, kind girl staying locked inside his head.

"That's it," he said as he hurled himself off his bed. She was likely in her room or the kitchen reading while Tye and Virgil were off in the gym practicing their techniques (Luthor said the room was only big enough for two of them at a time, so they would each pair off with someone else day to day). It was the perfect time to talk her about a date without the hoots and jeers of his fellow _compadres_.

He whisked his door open, taking a deep breath before entering the hallway -

And smack dab into a damp Asami.

"Ed?" she asked, tilting her head and letting her wet black hair splay onto her shoulders, "You go somewhere?"

_Mierda_, _she's only wearing a towel_, Eduardo tried to keep his resolve, suppressing the oncoming panic rising in his throat. He'd seen scantily clad women before, exposing more skin than what was currently presented before him. This was no different...except those were showgirls and Asami was his friend and he _liked_ her, so _of course_ his eyes wanted to flicker towards the edge of the towel where the top of her breasts were visible but wow, that would_ not_ go over well if she caught him staring and now the awkward silence was coming, so say something, say something,_ say something_ -

"Y-you look pretty like that!" he practically yelled, wishing he had it in him to teleport out of the apartment and go on a skateboard binge for a few hours.

"Pretty?" Asami grinned, her eyes glazing over in earnest affection, "Think I pretty?"

Eduardo could only nod, realizing the situation couldn't get anymore awkward. So what the hell, he'd give it a shot, "So pretty in fact, I was hoping...um...you - me - go out? Like a..._date_?"

"You...me...out?" Asami crossed her arms, cupping a hand against her chin. One finger tapped her cheek thoughtfully and she directed her eyes towards the ceiling, "Date?"

Oh crap, she actually knew what it meant, "U-uh, yeah. If you want."

He was surprised when her lips blossomed into a full smile, the brightest one he'd been graced with yet. She nodded her head and gave him a quick thumbs up before moving past him to her room, "Okay! Out! In hour!"

"Wait, we're going to go today?" he gulped, a fresh wave of nerves prickling at his skin.

"_Hai_," she replied, opening the door to her room, "I think...about Ed...mmm, _itsumo_. Always."

And with a growing blush and a wave of her hand, Asami clicked the door shut, leaving the Argentinian in a happy, anxious daze until he realized:

_Carajo, do I have anything clean to wear?_


	5. Taking Turns

"Okay, so who's sleeping where?" Virgil asked as the group looked over the two beds and the cot beside the TV. None of them had quite addressed the giant elephant in the room - the one currently in the shower, listening to the radio Eduardo found at the dump and Virgil re-charged.

"I haven't slept in the last two days," Arsenal curtly said, already making his way to the bed closest to the window, "I need a mattress. A_ real_ one."

"I don't mind taking the cot, to be honest," Virgil shrugged, "I've slept on worst. As for you two…"

His words trailed and he turned around, quirking an eyebrow at the moody teens before him. Tye's stare firmly latched onto the carpet and Eduardo was tapping his fingers against his forearms, "Look, it's no secret, at least to me, that you two have a thing for Sam. And sharing a bed with her could prove to be…difficult, so would you rather she take a bed with Arsen - "

"No," both flatly replied, eyes burning holes into Virgil's form in less than a second.

Virgil blinked a few times, clearing his throat before proceeding further, "Alright then. Since she isn't sleeping on the cot and I doubt one of you wants to sleep on the floor, what do you propose?"

"We could just rotate," Tye suggested, "One of us sleeps in the same bed as her every time we find a hotel. It…won't feel too weird that way."

"Yeah," Eduardo nodded, "That sounds fine."

It was a bit skeptical how easily they agreed to the terms, but hey, they were friends and Asami was one of them. It was like he imagined his and Richie's relationship if his childhood companion ever stoked a flame for Frieda.

"So, since it was my idea…" Tye walked over to the nearest bed, plopping down into the blankets and dragging his headband over his eyes, "First night's mine."

Eduardo rolled his eyes, but obliged, "Fine, guess I'll go sleep over there with Arsenal."

"Call me Harper," Arsenal said as he rolled over to give Eduardo some room, "Might as well be somewhat casual if we're going to be traveling around together."

Virgil let out a deep breath, relieved that that particular situation was done and over with.

Now how to deal with a damp Asami exiting the bathroom…

The cot wasn't terribly uncomfortable, given the desert floor they could be sleeping on otherwise, but Virgil would like it a lot better if the two beside him would go to sleep. He could hear Asami and Tye whispering to each other in the bed next to his head, _so sure_ that their voices would not carry. Too bad Tye's voice didn't do quiet and Asami's giggles could travel across a high-tech lab facility.

In the other bed, Harper seemed like he was asleep, but every other minute a flurry of angry words escaped the teen and he tossed and turned so much under the covers, Virgil had to wonder how the boy didn't wake from his own reckless fidgeting. Good thing Eduardo could sleep through anything, or else the Argentinian would be kicking Harper off the bed.

_Man, where's an ipod when you need one_, Virgil thought, heaving a sigh and twisting over on his stomach.


	6. Discovery & Baseball

It turns out, Asami is the first to discover the coupling between Eduardo's father and Tye's mother. She finds them interlaced in the kitchen, Mr. Dorado's hands tight around Ms. Longshadow's petite waist, his stare loving and unguarded. Mrs. Longshadow's face is obscure from view, but the way she softly giggles into his neck is enough for Asami to connect the thoughts. The moment sinks into her memory and with another fleeting glance, she scurries away from the doorway, rushing out to meet with her friends starting up a game of baseball on the other side of the street.

"Hey, Sam," Tye goes in for a quick hug upon her arrival, kissing the top of her forehead, "What took you so long?"

"_Ano_?" Asami keeps a straight face under the probing question, all in due to the years of practice when scolded by her siblings, "I was…time of month."

"Oh?" Tye blinks a few times before realization hits him and he winces at his girlfriend's false troubles, "_Oh_. I'm sorry about that. Do you still want to play? You don't have to if you don't want -"

She kisses him on the corner of his lips to quiet him, giggling as he stumbles away a blushing mess.

"C'mon lovebirds, we don't have all day," Roy scoffs from the other side of their makeshift baseball field, stretching out his legs.

"At least they're not bad as Jaime and Cass," Virgil admits and points over to the trees down the street, "They said they'd be back in five and it's been almost an hour."

"You know, I could just tell them the game's starting," Bart says as he swings the wooden bat effortlessly, "Take me less than a second."

"Yeah, we don't want you scarred for life, _hermanito_," Eduardo shakes his head, slamming his fist against his glove, "If they haven't come out of that tree by now, I doubt they'll be coming out at all."

"Ugh, Neptune's Beard, can we please just get this over with?" La'gaan scowls, his face hidden behind the catcher's mask, "It's hot, I'm sweating, and I have to be back to watch a movie with M'gann in three hours!"

"Fine, fine, Jaime and Cassie can just fill in when they come back," Tye says, walking towards the mound with a dirty baseball in his hand, "Let's play some ball."

The argument and the game that ensues after distracts Asami from thoughts of Mr. Dorado and Mrs. Longshadow doing who-knows-what in that house like Jaime and Cassie are doing in that tree. Still, it isn't much of her business to tell the others of their private affair, even if she is dating Mrs. Longshadow's son.

Besides, it's bound to be hilarious when Ed and Tye finally uncover the the truth of their parents' "friendly" relationship.


	7. Worth

It was his turn to stay on watch.

Eduardo had managed to collect sleeping bags, raggedy blankets, and old pillows at a local homeless shelter, as well as some canned foods and basic medical supplies. It didn't feel particularly right, but they needed to stay warm and fed if they were going to find a way to get back at the Reach and Luthor's gang, "The Light."

He took a deep breath before taking a look back to his fellow runaways, all four of them bundled up close to the waning fire. It had taken over a half an hour to convince Arsenal that he needed sleep or else he would be little good to any of them. Five minutes later, Virgil heard the boy talked in his sleep, jerking back and forth and muttering about people named Roy and Oliver, Dinah and Brave Bow. The rest of his friends were huddled near one another on the other side and it came to no surprise to discover that Tye and Asami's hands were partially interlaced.

Another sigh escaped him as he shifted his attention back to the vast desert, the rolling mounds of sand shimmering against the light of the bright moon. Having been a city boy all his life, Virgil had never been able to appreciate the quiet the desert could offer. Or how each greedy breath he took felt clean and alive, filling his lungs with sharp, cool air. It was different, nice even.

But it had nothing on home.

Just the thought of Dakota City had Virgil calling forth memories of his folks and sister, crowded around at the kitchen table or living room couch, laughing at another of Pop's infamous jokes. Richie and Frieda's brilliant smiles danced across his eyes, taunting him with past joys like visits to the arcade or playing horse after school. He shut his eyes and pressed a hand against his forehead, shaking away the thoughts of his former life. Even when he did find a way back to his family, nothing would be the same. He was a metahuman - a potential danger to all he cared about. Was it even worth it to see them again - to put them at risk?

And if he really thought about it, wasn't he putting his new family at risk too? This want for revenge, to one up the people who had hurt them, used them, betrayed them…did it matter? What would happen if they succeeded? What would happen if they failed?

"Maybe I should have let Arsenal take watch," Virgil groaned, kicking at the sand, wishing that the sounds of Dakota City sirens and club music could distract him.


	8. Smoke & Guns

*Eduardo is around twenty in this*

He wasn't sure why he picked up smoking. Perhaps it was the stress from rebuilding his relationship with his father in the wake of him pursuing the affections of Tye's mother, accompanied by the further turmoil of picking and choosing sides after the defeat of the Reach. Or maybe it had to do with the fact that, no matter how much he denied his disapproval, Sam and Tye decided to date with Virgil continuing an on-again, off-again relationship with his childhood friend Frieda. While everyone in his life tried to assure him he would never be forgotten, that he was still part of their lives no matter how their daily routines changed, Eduardo couldn't help it as a pit of loneliness suffocated him, swallowing all his dismal hopes for a better future.

The pack of cigarettes caught his attention while purchasing a liter of coke and since he knew he was still too young to ask for them, he snatched them up after hours, taking his first drag in a back alley a few blocks away from his father's apartment. It didn't go down as smooth as he would have liked, eyes tearing up and throat burning at the first, sudden intrusion of black smoke, but he got used to it. Unlike anything else in his spiraling mess of a life.

Smoking continued to be an idle pastime for the next few years. His metagene apparently kept him from being completely addicted to the substance, but he still fidgeted and twitched here and there if he didn't get his fix within a few days of each other. The worse was when he forgot his stash on a five-day mission in a remote location in Biyala. He was still unsure if the air was clear between him and Guardian…

But most of those events were of little concern to him now as he lit up a cigarette while parked outside of Harper's condo. He figured he needed it sooner rather than later if he was correct in what Arsenal's invitation entailed. It was something he could have never imagined before, his closest confidante an archer with a serious attitude problem and deep-seated PTSD he was unable to break through after five years. Not like he could say Harper fared any better with him. Still a wreck, a hopeless runaway jumping from place to place, friend to friend, searching for a home.

"Some things just have to the stay the same," Eduardo exhaled the gray smoke, watching it waft across his dashboard. His eyes were obviously playing tricks on him when it swirled into the face of a young girl, one that had remained and haunted him since her untimely departure, "Right, Julia? I'm still a fuck up and you're still dead."

His hand wiped away at the smoke as he opened the car door, dropping the cigarette onto the asphalt and smashing it underneath his boot. Time to see if Arsenal's proposal was worth the drive.

Bounty hunting didn't sound too bad, regardless.


	9. Scary Movie Night

"Virgil, pass the popcorn!" Eduardo snapped from the other side of the crowded couch. It would be reasonably comfortable if one or two of them hopped on over to the sofa near the kitchen, but they were expecting Tye's friend and his girlfriend over soon and none of them wanted to be around their enamored, awkward flirting. Even if he was wedged into the side and Roy could be considered a little too close for comfort, he didn't mind. Not really, "You have been hogging it for the last five minutes and the movie hasn't even started!"

"Chill, Ed," Virgil replied, stuffing his face with another fistful of buttery deliciousness, "We have plenty in that kitchen. Jade said she didn't mind."

"Yeah, what she says and what she does are two different things," Harper said, shifting against the plush cushions and inching closer towards Eduardo, "I doubt she'll be happy if she has to go shopping in the morning."

"It's popcorn and soda," Virgil emphasized, "It's not like we're going to raid their fridge."

"Whatever," Harper replied.

"Anyway," Tye cut in, changing the channel from the stand-up special to the 'limited commercial, monster-movie marathon' about to the unfold on the AMC, "Are you sure the baby should be in here? I know they told us to keep her in sight, but -"

"Do you know what Lian has_ seen_?" Harper's voice rose as said toddler babbled on in his lap, "Trust me, she's well prepared for a little blood and special effects."

"Okay," Tye shrugged, throwing an arm around Asami as they waited for the others to arrive, "It's your baby."

"For the last time, she is _not_ my baby!"


	10. Spar

"Wait," Virgil lifted his hand near Luthor's face, stopping him before he could further explain, "You want us to spar, _all at once,_ with Mercy?"

Luthor nodded and shrugged, watching said bodyguard stretch out from the corner of his eye, "I don't see the problem. Mercy can handle her own spectacularly in almost any circumstance. Trust me, I would know."

"But there's four of us and we have powers," Tye intervened, "That doesn't seem very fair."

"Have you considered that Mercy has been up against some of the most heinous rogues this world has ever known?" Luthor asked, somewhat ticked that the little fools before him believed they could one-up his most trusted confidante, "I assure you, she will be just fine. And this is more or less a training exercise to teach you four basic fighting techniques. You're going to need them if you ever come along opposition on your raids."

The four looked at one another before turning back and nodding their heads, Eduardo replying for the whole of them, "Alright, we'll do it."

"Good," Luthor smiled and waved over to Mercy, "They've agreed, Mercy. Show them…a few tricks, if you would be so kind."

He didn't miss the brief smirk that crossed her lips or the wink she gave the runaways, steadying herself into a basic fighting stance. She playfully tilted her head, her soft voice catching them off guard, "Come get it, kids."

The first round lasted thirty seconds. And that was Luthor being generous.


	11. Safe

It was over. They'd won. At a cost…but the earth and its people would survive.

Jaime wanted nothing more than to go home and finally talk to his parents and Milagro again. _Really_ talk to them. Wanted nothing more than to laugh at Paco's stupid jokes or listen to Brenda complain about the newest issue in Congress.

But first thing was first.

Tye and two of his other runaway pals were back in Taos after their mission was successful. He didn't know what prompted them to go back there, but it was all the info he needed.

As soon as he landed at the recovering STAR Labs, Jaime retracted his armor and ran towards the door, yelling out, "Yo, Tye! Where are you?"

It was almost eerie how quick his friend responded to the call, dashing out the doors with his comrades close behind, pausing only for a moment to take in the boy he had last truly seen for what seemed like eons ago.

"Jaime," Tye breathed out, his fists curling up against his chest, picking up the pace to meet him halfway. In truth, Jaime was expecting a hug, a cry, maybe even some 'I love you, bro!'s thrown in there when he spread out his arms to allow Tye in and -

Promptly punch him in the face.

"You asshole!" Tye shouted while Jaime staggered backwards, clinging to his pained cheek, "What the hell were you thinking?"

"What?" Jaime blinked, his vision a little bleary. The Scarab was asking him if they should combat Tye, but he chose to ignore it. He didn't need his friend any more hostile, "What the hell was that for?! In case you haven't noticed, I'm a good guy again!"

"You think that's why I punched you?" Tye growled, taking another step forward, "Are you really that dense? Or do I have to knock you on your ass again?"

"Tye…" the girl, Asami's voice trailed from behind him, her hands hovering over his shoulders, "Calm…calm down…"

"I'm being as calm as I can," he said, not bothering to look back, "But it's really difficult to do when he has no idea what he did wrong!"

"Well, enlighten me, _hermano_!" Jaime yelled back. This was not the reunion he was hoping for, "Just what did I do this time around?"

"You - " Tye cut himself off and Jaime swore he could see tears welling up in his eyes, "You kept this from me! _All of it!_ If I had known….I would have done something to help you! Maybe none of this would've happened! We were best friends, Jaime! Why didn't you tell me?"

_Were_. The word stung Jaime far more than anything he had physically encountered in the last week or so. The thought that they couldn't go back to the way things were…"No, Tye. You don't understand. I was trying to protect you. I didn't want…I didn't want anything bad to happen to you. My parents had to know, but…"

"But what?" Tye asked, furiously wiping at the tears streaming down his face, "You didn't think I deserved to know? That I couldn't be trusted? That I couldn't handle it with everything going on with Mau - "

"I wanted to keep you safe, okay!" Jaime exclaimed as he realized he was crying too, "And I failed and _I'm sorry_! I'm sorry for not being there for you, I'm sorry the Reach took you, I'm sorry they made you something you never wanted to be, I'm sorry you can't call me your friend anymore! This was the last thing I ever wanted to happen. I just - I just was trying to keep you from all of this and I failed and I'm so, _so_ sorry, Tye!"

Tye didn't reply immediately, at least not with words. His lean arms embraced him, clasping tight around his shoulders, their tears soaking into both of their sweatshirts.

"You asshole," Tye cried into his collarbone, "I missed you. I'm just glad you're safe now."

And they were. Safe from the harm of the Reach, Jaime and Tye hugged and cried and talked for the rest of the night, laughing like the kids they used to be.


	12. Worry

At first he was furious. All those reporters and crewmen around and none of them noticed his son and the others leaving the lab's grounds? They were the real heroes; they saved everyone in the labs, including the men who had been assigned to bring them back. But the media pinpointed their sights on the Blue Beetle, and while Eduardo was thankful to the armored hero for destroying Red Inferno before it could do any more damage to the tech inside his facilities, the teen could use a little more tact.

And speaking of the Blue Beetle, he'd been assigned to find his son as well! They had been right in his sights, just behind the flashing lights and shiny microphones. A little spotlight and _boom_, the superhero was reverted to the average man, hungry for attention of any sort.

The next emotion that crawled up his skin was guilt. Unbearable, wrenching guilt that kept him up for the whole of the night. If he had just paid more attention to his son while at the labs, offered to take him and the rest of the subjects out to a cozy pizza joint every once in a while, maybe he wouldn't have been so eager to pursue such a foolish plan. He figured it was either Virgil or Tye who instigated the whole ordeal, but _mijo_ must have been too displeased with him to think straight, causing him to go along with any other alternative.

And the last thing he felt that continued on for days, that wedged into his chest and sunk deep into his bones, was worry. Worry that his son had been snatched up again, either by the Reach or another malicious, manipulative force that could bend and break a boy who had already been through so much in his fifteen years of life. Worry that his son's newfound friends would abandon him at any moment if a problem ever arose. Worry that when everything finally settled down, his son would not return to him, would not try to build the loving relationship Eduardo so desired, despite all that had occurred between them.

It was the worry that stayed. It was the worry that lingered. And it was the worry that drove Eduardo to seek out the cure his son so desperately wanted.


	13. Confide

"He can be really weird, you know," Tye's voice caught the three of them off guard and they swirled around, watching as their friend walked towards them and took a seat next to Asami, eyes glued to the press conference unfolding on the flat screen, "Like how he can't decide what snack he wants. He's been doing that since we were kids, you know? The only consistent thing was cookies that were made by his mom. He _always_ wanted those."

"Tye, you don't have to - " Virgil tried to intervene, but Tye carried on, his hands wound tight around his knees.

"He's really good at all things science," despite his shaking legs, he smiled, seemingly recalling memories of their school days together, "Biology, especially. He just gets it, like riding a bike. I would get a little jealous sometimes, but then he would always ask me for help when it came to history. For the life of him, he had such a problem with remembering dates and what document did this and who invented what…it's just the way our brains work, I guess.

"I never realized how much we complimented each other, really. I'm this angry trainwreck 95% of the time and he's always so chill. I mean, he could get flustered, especially when talking to a cute girl, but he always knew how to relax and it really helped me out…"

And as Tye rambled on and on about his friend, understanding soon dawned on the other three. Their friend was coping. To them, it had seemed like this Jaime had been leading them to slaughter, that he was a traitor, an advocate for the Reach. But to Tye, it was a friend slipping into darkness, being consumed by something he probably tried so hard to control. To him, his friend could still be saved, reminding himself of everything that Jaime once was. Of everything he could still be.

So, they let him continue onward, huddling close with reassuring shoulder squeezes and nods of approval. By the end of the night, they too considered Jaime a friend and someone they had the means to save.


	14. The Previous Project

"Hmm, well that was pretty easy," Virgil said as they paused momentarily to catch their breaths, "I thought Mercy would be better at babysitting."

"Or maybe she figured we're good little kids that wouldn't take Lex Luthor for granted," Eduardo shrugged while taking another deep breath, "Either way, she's knock out or powered down or _whatever_ she is on that couch and will be for the next hour or two. Gives us some time to look around."

"Yeah…about that," Tye took a look around the hallway, rubbing at the back of his neck, "Just what _are_ we looking for?"

"No idea," Virgil replied, "I just wanted to find the kitchen. There has got to more of those chocolate pudding cups in there."

"Really? We escaped our room for pudding cups?" Eduardo sighed, leaning against the wall, "Shouldn't we look around for something - _yo no se_ - cooler than that?"

"Those pudding cups were pretty good," Tye admitted, "What do you think, Sam?"

Their fourth member was staring at the floor, off in her own little world while the three boys rattled on. At the sound of her name, she looked up and gave Tye a quick smile, "Sound good!"

Despite not understanding the question, Tye still nodded and returned the smile, muttering something under his breath that sounded a lot like '_cute_.'

"Okay, okay," Virgil steadied himself, feeling a little antsy given the fact they had been outside in the hall for the last five minutes. If they didn't move soon, someone was bound to find them, "Let's just take a look around and if we don't find anything interesting in the next half hour, we'll scram towards the kitchen, grab the pudding cups, and get back into our little prison cell."

"Alright," Eduardo nodded, "It's _bueno_."

"What he said," Tye said, waving for Asami to come along, "Time to go, Sam."

The first twenty minutes of their search was uneventful. They tried to go through multiple doors, but they were either locked or led to broom closets. The kitchen and the scrumptious pudding cups were on the first floor and each runaway filled their pockets with four or five of their favorite variety (Tye noted Asami _really_ liked the tapioca) before Eduardo opened what should have been another storage room.

"Huh, that's weird," he quirked an eyebrow, looking down at a set of stairs that led downward.

"Oh, sweet, secret staircase!" Virgil exclaimed through a mouth full of chocolate pudding, "I've always wanted to find one of those."

"Should we go down?" Tye asked, "It's pretty dark…"

"Oh don't tell me you're scared," Eduardo snickered, poking him in the ribs, "Afraid we might meet a horde of zombies?"

"No," Tye defended, "I just don't care for the dark anymore."

Eduardo went silent, fully realizing what he meant. He looked away, lost in his own memories of the night he was taken. Virgil eyed them both before wrapping his arms around their shoulders.

"Hey guys, it's fine," Virgil softly smiled, nudging his head towards the staircase, "We all have ways of lighting up the place. But I'm sure my electricity will be enough. And if someone gets too spooked, we'll come back up, no questions asked. Got it?"

Both boys nodded while Asami took their hands, urging them on, "Let's go, let's go!"

The four of them soon broke away from one another and quietly entered the staircase. Asami wedged a chair in-between the door and the wall while Virgil snapped his finger tips and lit up the hall with electric-blue sparks. Nothing was out of the ordinary - just your average basement staircase with your average basement walls. The four of them figured it might just be a bomb shelter or a room for emergency provisions. Lex Luthor might be suspicious, but even he wouldn't have some mystery science project locked up with the threat of a bunch of runaway teens discovering it.

Then again, he had picked Mercy, his right hand woman, to babysit them.

When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Virgil brightened his electric currents, helping illuminate the room. To the right was a bunch of scrap metal and discarded militia equipment, varying from experimental guns to riot shields. On the left were rows of boxes labeled with an assortment of non-perishable foods. Everything they expected, except…

"Huh, wonder where this door leads," Virgil walked towards the steel door in front of them, about to turn the knob and push it open -

"_Luthor_?" something yelled from the other side, banging into the door. Virgil yelped, the sparks in his hand going out momentarily, "Is that you? I've been stuck down here for three days, Lexy with nothing to do but watch you prattle on TV about a bunch of teen strays. If they aren't for me to play with later on, I really see no point in keeping them around."

"Oh man, who is that?" Eduardo's voice shook, taking a step back, "It…it doesn't _sound_ too human."

"Oh wait…" the voice from behind the door paused for a second. Then, a deep, booming laugh vibrated throughout the room, "It _is_ the strays! Well whattaya know, I didn't think I meet the little meatbags so soon! Come to get a look at your old Uncle Corben, did you? C'mon, little Static over there, open the door! You're in for a real treat!"

"He can see us," Tye gulped, grabbing a hold of the equally frightened Asami and stepping in front of her, "_He can see us_, bro. We have to go. Now."

"Oh, don't leave," the voice taunted, "We're just getting started. Open the door, boy. _Open the door_!"

Another loud bang hit the door and a green, florescent light could be seen from the cracks. The bangs continued and the voice's laughter and pleas became almost manic.

"_Ed_!" Virgil screeched, scrambling towards his friends, "Get us out of here!"

"But, I can't - " his protest was interrupted by another barrage of hits to the door, his eyes widening when it seemed the steel door started to unhinge.

"_Just you wait, boys and girl_," he sneered, "Just wait until I get my hands on you. Lex will think twice to forget about his last project."

"_Ed-kun_!" Asami exclaimed, holding onto his arm tightly, "_Shite kudasai_!"

Eduardo gulped before taking a hold of his friends and shutting his eyes, envisioning the kitchen above, "Everyone, hold on!"

A warm gold light enveloped them and a second later, their heads were pounding and their bodies were slouched against white tiles.

"Shut that door," Virgil managed to choke out, looking to Tye who happened to be the closest.

Tye nodded, wincing at the throbbing pain coursing through his veins. His fingers swatted at the chair and the door closed with a resounding click. Turning the lock, he let out a shaky breath and collapsed onto the floor with the rest of his friends.

"We need to get to the room," Eduardo said as he slowly stood up, "_Now_."

"Yeah, yeah," Virgil nodded, taking Eduardo's hand and allowing himself to be lifted off the floor.

"_Mata to nai_," Asami whispered near the sink, rubbing water all over her face, "_Mata to nai_…"

"You said it Sam," Tye agreed with whatever she said, letting her use his shoulder for support as they stumbled out of the kitchen, "Let's just go up stairs and watch some TV."

The four of them stood up for the rest of the night, unsure of what to make of the voice that still laughed and banged at the door it could never open. Just what had it meant by "project?"

And, in the far corners of their mind, they wondered if they could end up just like it.


	15. Last Friday Night II

As soon as Virgil made his way into the beat up apartment, bags of eggs and a gallon of milk in hand, Roy hooked onto the top of his collar and swerved him forward, eyes burning holes into his forehead, "Tell me I didn't have…_relations_ with Ed. Tell me Jade is lying and it's all just some elaborate set-up. Please."

Virgil sputtered, taking a quick glance at a chuckling Jade. He pulled away from Roy, fixing the wrinkles in his clothes before answering him, "Alright, I'll tell you. You did not have…_relations_ with Ed."

"Oh, thank God," Roy sighed, the immense pressure building in his stomach and knotting up into his shoulder immediately lifted off, leaving him weightless as he sat back down.

"But…" Virgil trailed as he dropped the bags on the counter, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips, "I'm pretty sure Ed had _relations_ with you."

The pressure came back in full force and Roy almost threw up whatever alcohol was left in his system onto the wooden floors, "You…you're lying…"

Jade burst out into full out laughter, flipping a stack of pancakes onto a large white plate, "Face it, little boy. You have quite a few things to own up to. Including the cute little boyfriend lounging around in your room."

"He is not my boyfriend, he is not my boyfriend, he is not my boyfriend," Roy chanted to himself, closing his hands over his ears. This. Was not. Happening. Why the hell would he ever - why would he even -

"I'm getting him out of my room," Roy hurled himself off the counter, ignoring the flurry of giggles escaping the couple on the couch as he walked by.

"You want us to give you a recap?" Tye asked, peeking one eye out from beneath his headband, "We overheard _quite_ the show."

"I'll butcher you with my a kitchen knife," Roy threatened, "And the baby will be giggling the whole way through."

Both Tye and Asami _laughed_. Just laughed at the threat as though it was silliest thing in the world and continued to cuddle one another on the couch. Roy rolled his eyes and shoved his door open, prepared to deal with whatever situation he found Eduardo in….

Except for the one where he was still in the bed stark naked and asleep.

"How the hell did you _not_ wake up through that!" Roy exclaimed, staggering back into the door at the mere sight of his bare-skinned friend, "I was yelling, the baby was giggling, and Jade insinuated we had relations! Wake up, asshole!"

Eduardo groaned and turned towards him, Roy's heartbeat spiking by the mere sight of his face. Wow, this was going to get awkward quick, "Harper, I swear to God, if you don't shut up, I'm going to teleport you back onto the bed and slam you into the bedpost."

"I - I - fine!" Roy backed down, unwilling to go through with his questioning if Ed was still like _that_, "But if you're not dressed in another hour, you better be prepared for the consequences."

"I look forward to it, _papi_," Ed slurred and shot him a tired grin, turning back around and hanging the sheets over the whole of his body.

"That's not what I meant," Roy grumbled as he exited the room, ready for the next wave of teasing and wisecracks made at his expense.


	16. Spirited Away

Asami's gasp caught the attention of the four boys and they whipped their heads back towards her, watching as her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with the collar of her vest.

"_Sen to Chihiro no_ _Kamikakushi_," she said, pointing vigorously at the screen, "O-on TV!"

"Did you catch that?" Virgil tilted his head in Tye's direction. If anyone could decode what she was saying, it was probably going to be him.

Tye shook his head while he lifted himself onto the bed Asami was on, "None of the words were familiar. But it's pretty obvious she's excited what's on the screen."

"This movie?" Eduardo asked, taking in the sight of the colorful animation, "I remember watching a Spanish trailer of it on Youtube once…looks neat."

"That girl actually looks a little like Sam," Harper said, "What's this called?"

"Spirited Away," Virgil read the description off the screen, "Pretty old movie…came out when I was born! You know about this movie, Sam?"

At the sound of her name, the girl nodded, smiling, "_Hai! Ano_…my favorite!"

"Your favorite movie, huh?" Tye looked back to the worn out TV, casually pressing his body closer to hers, "Well, it's not a premium. Let's keep it on this."

"Fine by me," Virgil leaned back on the sofa chair, propping his feet onto the writing desk, "I like this kind of stuff."

"If it's Asami's favorite, I'm down," Eduardo plopped onto the other bed, barely missing Roy's fingers with his own.

"Whatever," Roy shrugged, deciding it best to go along with whatever they wanted. Animation might not be his thing, but he could tolerate it for a few hours if Eduardo was watching it with him.

Asami's smile widened as the four boys looked onto the adventure unfolding on the TV, happy that although she couldn't voice her opinions so readily, they could still take in this piece of her, however small it was.


	17. Supernino

Conner wasn't really sure what to expect when Nightwing assigned him on this little mission. It seemed like he should be the last one to talk to them, honestly. While he wasn't sure how much details Luthor gave the runaways, it was pretty obvious by now that their rescue mission had been a decoy for The Light to gain access to the War World. And he was probably the biggest reminder that they had been used. _Again_.

_Well, I know what that's like,_ Conner sighed before knocking on their motel room.

"Virgil, you didn't accidentally phone room service again, did you?" he could hear the boy with the teleportation powers speak up, his voice exhausted and annoyed.

"I swear, yesterday was the last time," Virgil seemingly replied, soft footstep approaching the door, "I bet it's just the lady asking to clean up again."

"Superboy!" Roy's distinct growl exclaimed, shoving the door open a moment later, his cybernetic arm pointed straight at his waist, "What are you doing here?"

"Stand down, Arsenal," Superboy raised his hands against his chest, trying his best to pull off a carefree and inviting smile. He and Roy weren't on the best terms, especially after the last mission…why did Nightwing ask him to do this again?

"Yeah, c'mon Harper, chill," the teleporting boy walked towards them, pressing his hand into Arsenal's shoulder, "Supernino is okay in our book. He was used by Luthor too, right?"

"And anyone who's had to deal with that rat is a friend of ours," Jaime's friend could be heard in the back, his arm shielding the sole female of their group, "Unless you have another proposal for us."

"Because we're not going back," Arsenal narrowed his eyes, his fists clenched tight, "We already gave Nightwing and the rest of his little team our answer. What makes you think you can do any better?"

"I…I'm not sure, actually," Conner admitted, scratching the back of his head, "Truth is, I was supposed to be going on a date tonight, but Nightwing called and told me you guys were in the area. Suggested I make a house call."

"No one asked you to keep tabs on us, you know," the teleporter crossed his arms, his gaze hardening, "It doesn't matter if you're our age, you still roll with the League and everyone who used us so far."

"Guys, c'mon…" Virgil trailed, his eyes darting from Superboy to the rest of his group, "Let's hear what he has to say at least? I mean, maybe joining them wouldn't be all - "

"I'm sorry, do you _not_ remember what they did to me?" Roy snapped, his nose flaring. Wow, was it just Conner or had Arsenal become more of a tight ass? "They'll easily just do the same to you if you don't fit in with their little protocols."

Virgil averted his gaze, shuffling his feet against the brown carpet, "Yeah…yeah, you're right."

"No," Conner cut in, brushing off the smaller boys with ease as he entered their room, "He's wrong. We don't just….we _don't_ just abandon and desert people, okay? I'll talk to you guys about it. _All of you._ Answer any questions you have…I'll prove to you that not all the adults are bad."

"Adults?" Tye quirked an eyebrow, "But aren't you sixteen?"

"Nope," Conner grinned despite the tense atmosphere, "I get that a lot though. I'm biologically twenty-two and chronologically six."

"_Ay dios mio_," the teleporter slapped a palm to his face, leaning on Roy for support, "This superhero business is seriously messed up."

Arsenal nodded in agreement, Conner curiously aware that the boy did not shake him off, "It really fucking is."

"So…" Conner took a seat on the bed, waiting for the five of them to huddle closer, "What do you want to know?"


	18. Richie & Frieda

"Hey guys!" Virgil flagged down the rest of his crew as they entered another area of Dakota City, eyes lit up like Christmas trees, "Guys! I want you to meet some friends of mine!"

"You mean those two dorks you never shut up about?" Tye asked, taking a look around the quaint residential neighborhood.

"Don't get us started over how much you talk about a particular beetle," Ed snickered, "What was the count that one day, Harper?"

"Thirty-seven, if I'm not mistaken," Roy joined in, unable to hide his smirk, "Quite the bromance you got going there, Longshadow."

Tye was about to retaliate when a firm squeeze from Asami calmed him, "Play nice, guys."

"Everyone relax, alright?" Virgil pursed his lips, realizing a little too late that maybe this wouldn't go as well as he had hoped. Frieda could get pretty confrontational if provoked and he just _knew_ Roy would press the wrong buttons (regardless if it was intentional). And Richie never did know when enough was enough when it came to teasing others…he doubted Tye or Ed would put up with much of that, "There coming over pretty soon and I don't want - "

"Virgil! Oh my god, Virgil!" the sound of a familiar, girly voice stopped him mid-sentence. He swirled around just as a pair of arms engulfed him into a hug, almost throwing the both of them onto the asphalt, "I can't believe it's you! We thought you were dead! Why didn't you call us when you had the chance, we had to find out everything from your parents! You're so stupid, Virgil!"

"She doesn't mean that, V!" his friend, Richie chuckled as he caught up, his eyes a little red, "You're totally not stupid because you saved the _world_! How cool is that!"

Virgil choked on his next words, afraid he would fall onto the street and sob. It had been so long since he'd seen them.

So long in fact, he almost didn't realize this was the first time Frieda was kissing him, her lips pressed against us so swiftly he hardly had time to comprehend the situation.

"Whoa, you didn't tell us she was your girlfriend, _hermano_!" Eduardo chided from behind.

Frieda quickly pulled away, a red flush coloring her face, "I - I didn't see them! Um…that was - that was a friendly kiss?"

"Don't even try to get out of this, sister," Richie wagged a finger, rolling his eyes at his best friends' embarrassment, "How many times did you tell me if you just had one more minute with Virgil you kiss him senseless?"

"Was it thirty-seven?" Roy chipped in, receiving pointed looks from Tye and Asami and a high-five from Ed.

"Actually…" Richie trailed, blinking a few times to get a better look at the boy a few yards away, "That's pretty close."

"God, Richie, you're such a terrible friend!" Frieda slapped at his shoulder feebly, covering her bemused grin with the other hand, "I can't believe you."

"I can't believe you either," Virgil took a step forward, emboldened by the lingering warmth over his lips. He took a hold of her fingers and kissed the top of her hand, adding an affectionate, "_Ma cherie_."

"_Ay dios mio_, I didn't know he'd be so corny around a girl," Eduardo mumbled under his breath.

"Cute!" Asami exclaimed, giggling and huddling closer to Tye, "You think so, too?"

Tye shrugged, "I guess…if you're into that kind of stuff."

"Well, why those two get reacquainted and make me stand out like a sore thumb," Richie said as he approached the four of them, "My name is Richie Foley and I humbly thank thee for saving the world and its…_mostly_ decent inhabitants."

"Mostly decent," Roy scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, right," Eduardo rolled his eyes.

"Oh, c'mon, guys! It can't be all that bad," Richie encouraged.

"Richie, buddy, you should quit while you're ahead," Virgil said as he swerved around, keeping a soft grip on Frieda's hand, "Or you'll be definitely sorry in about an hour."

"Hey, I don't mind a lecture," Richie replied, taking another brief glance at Roy, "Especially if he's the one doing the talking. You seem like a guy who's quite informed on the topic of morality in superheroism. Right, hot shot?"

Arsenal's eyes widened in mild confusion, tilting his head, "I…guess?"

"Okay then, it's settled," Richie nodded, throwing an arm over Virgil's shoulder, "I've been saving up for some killer gameplay at the arcade and I think I even have enough for an extra-large pizza. You guys hungry?"

"Yes," almost all of them said in unison, stirring a deep laugh from Virgil.

Maybe he could have the best of both worlds, after all.


	19. Paco & Brenda

"So…" Tye trailed, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his orange sweater. He knew the topic would come up eventually, but he didn't want (or need) it to be so soon into their reunion. It had literally been months since he'd last seen Paco and Brenda; he would rather ask if the two dorks were finally dating or let them ask as many questions they wanted about Asami.

But this? Well, it could get really touchy _quick,_ and Tye wasn't too sure if he wanted (or needed) touchy at the moment.

"So what?" Paco said, taking a sip of his Dr. Pepper, "You wanna talk about how that jerk acted like everything was fine and dandy while he was being controlled by those freaky Reach people?"

"Paco," Brenda's voice wavered as a warning, her face solemn, "You know as well as Tye and I do that Jaime had no control over his actions when the Reach.._.infiltrated_ him. Jaime told us that he tried to fight them off as much as he could, but it was no use. At least Tye had the common sense to run away from him when he had the chance."

"The Ambassador was just desperate, apparently," Tye shrugged, already sensing a silent competition beginning: who knew Jaime was on-mode first? While it was probably true Tye, Asami and the others were the first to know, he wasn't about to call himself a "truer" friend to Jaime if Paco and Brenda were never able to figure it out. It was a completely different situation, regardless: the Ambassador was trying to get him back to be experimented on while with Paco and Brenda, it was just school and the occasional lunch out, "Don't get work up about it, 'k, Paco?"

"Worked up?" Paco knitted his thick eyebrows together, eyes narrowing as he took another big gulp of his soda, mumbling, "I'm not worked up about something stupid like this…"

"Still…" Brenda trailed, her finger making circles on the greasy paper plate, "I feel like we failed him somehow. We should have known. Aren't we two of his best friends?"

"You can't think like that," Tye shook his head, resisting the urge to take her by the hand. It was weird - he was never one to comfort anyone with touch before, even a friend in distress. But with the Reach and the others…touch just became necessary. And it didn't hurt that Asami was an affectionate and physical person. Still, he didn't want Paco getting the wrong idea, "It's in the past, and Jaime knew you guys would have tried, if given the chance. Don't worry. This - this nightmare is over. We have a chance to start over."

Brenda looked up from her plate, smiled, and unlike Tye, took the initiative and grabbed his hand, squeezing just a little too tight, "Thanks, Tye. That means a lot."

"Well, this conversation is getting dull," Paco scoffed as if on cue, shuffling out of his seat, "How about we join your girlfriend at the arcade?"

"So you can find out she beat your all-time high-score at Pac-Man?" Brenda quipped, releasing her hold on Tye's hand.

"She's totally not!" Paco exclaimed, "Do they even have Pac-Man in Japan?"

"Doesn't matter," Brenda replied, "I can already tell she's a natural gamer."

"Not more natural than me. Especially since I'm 100%."

"Do you always have to be so corny?"

"I don't know; do you always have to be this annoying?"

Tye suppressed the need to roll his eyes, trailing behind the bickering pair. Just how typical could two people get?


	20. Designated Driver

"Sam..." Tye nuzzled his head into the crook of his girlfriend's neck, a wide and goofy smile stretched wide on his face, "Sam...guess what?"

Asami sighed, rolling her eyes. This would be the fourth time already and it was such a stupid, immature joke. It was sad really, but the poor boy just couldn't hold his Sapporo, "What, Tye?"

"Chicken butt!" Eduardo exclaimed from the other side of the table, slapping Roy on the back, "That is so funny,_ hombre_! I can't believe I never heard it Argentina!"

Roy huffed, moving further and further away from the rest of the group, wallowing in the corner, "You all are freaks."

"Oh, but you like it," Eduardo teased, leaning forward and snaking an arm around the older boy's waist, "Don't you, _amorcito_?"

"Man, how many...many _times_ do we have to tell _you_ to not get fri_sky_ when we're out in public?" Virgil slurred at the head of the table, his hand wound tight around a small cup of sake, "Ed...Ed.._.Ed_, I said stop, they're gonna - they're gonna kick us _out_!"

Asami took in the scene of the three boys before her, sighing yet again as Ed transitioned from attempting to kiss Roy to tightly gripping Virgil, proclaiming he was the very best friend anyone could ask for. How did it end up like this every time? They'd only been going out to bars for the last couple of months, sure, but that didn't mean they had to act like complete idiots in the process.

"Sam," Tye's voice tickled her ear, something she would have enjoyed if not for the fact the boy was near black-out drunk and his persistent chuckling grating on her nerves, "Asami, _babe_...I have to go pee."

"Are you kidding me right now?" Asami slapped the top of her forehead, taking another deep breath, "Tye, you are twenty-two years old. I believe you are capable of getting to the bathroom just fine."

"I'll come with you!" Ed piped up, releasing Virgil to take a hold of Tye's free hand, "C'mon, lover boy! We need to freshen up for our..._babes_."

"Goddammit, Ed, I'm not a babe," Roy mumbled with his head pressed flat onto the table, "I hate you so much right now."

"At least - at least you _have_ a date," Virgil hiccuped, "Frieda..._Frieda_ said no _again_! Miss one _stu_pid wedding recital and you - _you're_ in the doghouse for a lifetime!"

Asami groaned, tilting her head back against the seat, "I could really use a drink."


	21. Klarion

Sometimes, even with the Light's plans dipping and diving and twisting and turning in ways none of them had really expected, Klarion couldn't help but feel a little, well…

_Bored_.

He and his allies managed to be consistently one step ahead of the headstrong heroes and the oafs never made it too interesting, despite the setbacks caused by the youngest among them. They predicted every move their opponents could possibly make, and like the unwitting pawns they were, fell straight into their hands. It wasn't even fun to watch baby magic put the Beetles off-mode, and he'd been anticipating her thriving improvement (and growth…and wow, how she had grown).

No, the Lord of Chaos needed something unpredictable, unstable. Those who didn't abide by the rules of Good and Evil. In a League of their own, only guided by the chaos they ensued…

His face broadened into a smirk before his mind fully comprehended where he was getting at, whirling up a portal with his fingers. That's right: there were five little brats roaming the streets, taking no side in the battle unfolding without them. They had been used, abused, misguided; now they trusted no one, anger welling inside every inch of their skin, raw power bristling around their fingertips.

So much Chaos could be brought upon with that.

"Teekl," Klarion called out to his pet, finishing up the last touches on the portal. They were all sitting around a fire, eating out of day old take-out cartons. His eyes flickered over the boy with the teleportation powers the most, regret and resent surrounding him like a cloak. He could be useful, if given the proper motivation and conditioning. They all could be, "Let's have some fun, shall we?"

His familiar purred, appearing on his shoulder and nestling up to his neck. Klarion's smirk morphed into a genuine smile for one clean second, and then it was gone, replaced by a cacophonic laugh.

They didn't trust adults. But what would they think of a simple Witch-Boy?


	22. Switcheroo

"Holy wow!" Marvin exclaimed, fingers and shoulders trembling at the news Megan had given him. It was surreal. Almost unbelievable: he was now a martian! Just like Martian Manhunter, one of his favorite superheroes! And Megan was his niece! "How totally cool! Do you know what this means?"

"Uhh..." Megan trailed, biting on the bottom of her lip, one hand squeezing into her fleshy forearm. Marvin still hadn't completely wrapped his head around the fact that the Megan he had known beforehand was in fact a superheroine and actually went by M'gann, but when you had just discovered the green skin you woke up in _wasn't_ a result of the foreign alcohol you chugged at last night's party, everything else seemed irrelevant. Including the fact that this switch-up was a complete fluke, caused by a mischievous and bored Lord of Chaos, "It means we should get you to the warehouse with the others and try to sort this whole thing out?"

Marvin clasped onto Megan's shoulders with bony, green fingers, his visage brimming with unbridled joy. His next words indicated that he had yet to really hear a word Megan had to say other than 'developing martian powers,' "It means I can go to a club and be Usher, Megan."

"...What?" Megan asked, bewildered.

"_I can be Usher_!" Marvin exclaimed again, pulling away and throwing his arms into the air, "I can be Kobe Bryant or - oh my god, I can be Tony Hawk! Do you know how many nights I have dreamed of being Tony Hawk?"

"I could imagine...you _are_ a professional skateboarder..." Megan was frozen to the carpet, ogling her friend with amused, stupefied eyes. She had known of Marvin's appreciation and admiration of her uncle beforehand...but this was on a whole new level. It almost reminded her of her first days on earth almost seven years ago - how much she adored being treated like a human, going shopping, eating out...

"Oh man...oh, man! Dude!" Marvin was now in front of the mirror, his physique fully transformed into an exact replica of the hip hop artist he had raved about since he was twelve. Even came with a shiny, black leather jacket and diamond stud earrings pierced into his ears, "I'm Usher! I. Am._ Usher_."

M'gann slapped her forehead, struggling with the fact that she couldn't simply share her memories of Klarion and his "three days and this becomes permanent" ultimatum. She would have to show him how to do that first.

08080808080808080

"Harper! Can you please calm down!" Eduardo shouted from below, hot, tight fists practically burning holes into his clothes, "If you don't think about it for a few seconds, it'll stop!"

"I can't stop thinking about it! It's all I can think about!" Roy yelled back from the apartment's rooftop. He dug his fingers further into the bricks, blood seeping out from the calloused skin as his newfound super strength further broke the cement down. This couldn't be happening. What gave that witch brat the nerve, the _audacity_ to steal away his best friend's powers and give them to him? This was pure ludicrosity, especially considering every time he blinked he was on a different spot of the roof, "You've had two years to control all this stuff! I've had less than a goddamn hour - don't tell me to calm down!"

Eduardo let out a tiresome, hopeless sigh, watching as Roy transported from one part of the roof to the other. In truth, he was feeling a little guilty, recalling the first time he had discovered just what the Reach had done to him on their ship. How bitter and angry he had felt, how much he hated his new "gifts." But, he had learn to live with them...learned to accept them. After all, they had led him to the older boy suffering above.

A terrible shout of curses soon ensued, and Eduardo winced when a flare of red shot from Roy's eyes and into the cloudless sky.

"Son of a bitch, I'm going to kill him!" Roy growled, "No order without chaos, my ass! I'm going to tear him limb from limb. You hear me, witch brat? I'm going to kill you!"

_You and me both, buddy_, Eduardo thought, wondering what it would feel like to use the stairs for the first time in two years...

080808080808080808080

"Jaime...your sister..." Tye's voice wavered in a fear his friend hadn't heard in quite some time, previously reserved when he had to face a scolding from Mrs. Reyes, "Your sister...my powers..."

"Bro, I know," Jaime replied, warily observing said sister shooting higher and higher into the sky, her expanding, green astral form lighting up the whole of the skate park, "We need to find help. _Now_."

"But we can't just leave her, right?" Tye asked, "And I have to find Asami! I have no idea where she disappeared to."

"Oooo!" Milagro squealed from above them, jumping up as she caught sight of her brother and his friend, "You two look like little dolls! Maybe we can have a tea party and dress up!"

A beat later and then -

"Yeah, get me out of here," Tye gulped, leaping into Jaime's arms as he pulled his metallic blue armor over his body.

"Khaji Da, can you locate Asami Koizumi?" Jaime asked while skyrocketing in the air, managing to dodge one of his sister's threatening astral palms.

_Negative, Jaime Reyes. She is nowhere in the nearby twenty mile radius_.

"He said he can't get a read on her," Jaime told Tye, "We'll have to find out where that Klarion guy took her the hard way."

"And to think I actually liked that asshole," Tye growled out, crossing his arms in defeat, "I want my girlfriend back, dude."

"And I don't want to be involved in a human doll tea party," Jaime countered, shuddering at the mere thought, "Man, can we ever catch a break?"

080808080808080808080

"So, you're saying that I have your powers?" Wendy asked Asami for the fourth time.

"Yes," the younger girl nodded, a little more tersely than before.

"And you're a normal human now? Like you used to be?"

Asami sighed, but still replied with another curt nod. This was futile; they were wasting time! There was being thorough, and then there was being Proxy - always reiterating the points, going over information again and again until every trivial piece was memorized. It was definitely times like these that Asami was glad she never joined their silly little team - she would have probably cracked before Tye.

"This still doesn't explain where Conner went though," Wendy said, "Or why you appeared in his place! Sure, I know Klarion is a Lord of Chaos, but I never believed him to be this powerful. I always thought he was a lackey of Vandal..."

"Ugh, I don't care about this!" Asami exclaimed, giving Wendy's shoulder a firm shake, "We need to get to the warehouse and - and - dammit, what's that word?"

"Rendezvous?" Wendy offered.

"Yes! That's it!" Asami snapped her fingers as she grabbed onto the other woman's wrist, "Rendezvous point! Warehouse! We need to go now!"

"Uhh...sure," Wendy nodded, taking her keys off the kitchen counter, "Hope nothing too crazy is happening over there..."

080808080808080808080

"This is crazy."

"You're telling me."

"We switched powers."

"Well...I wouldn't say that. I don't have powers. I just use the belt."

"But I can use your belt now, right?"

"How do you reason _that_, Static?"

"Well you have my powers now, _Rocket_. It's only fair I get to use something of yours."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Well, I don't think it was a good idea that Klarion gave you my powers and you have the capacity to burn this whole place down. Buttt, I will forgive it if I get to use that nifty belt."

"...Not happening, Virgil."

"Oh, c'mon, Raquel!"


	23. Time Machine

The fabric of time was a fragile creature; one tear could distort the past and future in a thousand ways, give birth to tens of hundreds of parallel universes. Only God and his hordes of angels seemed capable of manipulating that intricate tapestry, weaving it so tight together that nothing could unhinge or tangle up the very universes they sought to create. Space and time were of God's domain, and only fools had the wild thought of constructing it to their will.

Then again, ever since the world was shot to hell, Eduardo's faith in such immortal people had dwindled considerably. And perhaps it was time for someone a little less than divine to pave the way.

His father, along with Adam Strange, had started that process, of bending space. With a few pushes of a button, the Zeta Tubes could take anyone anywhere another portal was open. Even to other planets, if the proper access codes were applied. His father had been a genius in every right, breaking the boundaries of God's work one portal after another.

But had he lived it? Had he ever experienced every piece of his flesh and bone warp out from one part of the street to the other? Had he endured countless hours of experimentation by things more than monsters, broadening his mind to its very limits? Had he seen this war-infested world fall before his eyes?

No; that was the simple answer. And it made all the difference.

For thirty-five years, Eduardo had been haunted by the screams and faces he could not save, ripping him out of the deepest of nightmares and leaving him in the coldest of sweats. There had been nothing he could have done for them then. Maybe there was a chance now.

"What?" Nathaniel gawked, struck dumb by his proposal, "Are you - are you serious? Is that even possible?"

"I believe it is," Eduardo replied, looking over the sparse supplies stacked in the corner. He would have to go on a run soon or else the kid would starve, "Theoretically, anyway. I've been building the theory over the last year, and finally found enough paper to design a decent draft of the machine and the supplies we'll need to build it. Some of the stuff can be found very easily in the next city or so…others might be in limited quantities and I would have to leave for awhile to retrieve them…a long while."

"Why did you keep this from us?" Nathaniel sighed, dragging his feet over to the empty crate beside Eduardo, "This might be our chance, Ed! If you think this is really possible…something like this…this might be the best shot we have.

"It_ is _out best shot," Eduardo emphasized, rubbing his fingers along the edges of his treasured arrowhead, "Might be our only shot. I've been looking around, but the only help I could find was from Oracle and Lian, and they have enough trouble in No Man's Land as is. If we do this, we'll be on our own."

"We've been on our own for a good year, and the Reach still haven't been able to pinpoint our location," Nathaniel said, "Either that or they don't think their washed-up experiements are worth the trouble. Which, to be honest, might be true. I can't use my powers unless I want to stay that way for the next few weeks and you, while you do have laser vision and super strength, are nowhere near the power Superman possessed. And look what happened to him…"

"No one can stand up to Blue Beetle for long," a faint stir could be heard from the other room, and Eduardo knew they would have to stop talking soon. Didn't want to get the kid worked up over something that might become nothing, "The only reason I'm still alive is my ability to escape…like a coward…"

Flashes of memories pooled over his eyes, his hands curling into tight fists as he recalled all the people he had left to die. Asami and Virgil had been the first: they were able to escape from within the Reach airship once they had been recaptured and had been cornered. A window was beside him and the roof of a building was visible. Eduardo grabbed onto Tye and yelled he would be back for them. But he never had that chance. The pair had been stuffed into pods and brainwashed like Nathaniel, personal puppets for the Reach to exploit. They would die by Eduardo's hands years later and he would bury them through blurry eyes.

He had left Tye in his friend's last fight against Blue Beetle. He screamed at him to leave, insisting one of them had to make it out alive. Still young and terrified at the prospect of death, Eduardo did as the older boy told him do, sobs wretching through him for days. He had left Karen Beecher in a battle against Green Beetle, vanishing from the sight just as her tiny form was crushed underneath his foot. He had left Lian's mother to die; left the young Wayne and Stephanie Brown too. And…

"Don't make me do it," Eduardo pleaded, clutching the arrowhead just bestowed upon him, "Don't make me leave you too."

"You don't have much of a choice, do you?" Roy's head was turned towards the approaching Reach troopers, cybernetic arm at the ready, "They'll just follow the both of us if you take me with you. And one of us needs to survive to get that info to Don."

"Please…" _he could feel hot tears streak across his cheeks, his tight throat twisting his voice into a choking weep, "I can't do it again. Roy - what about - "_

_"I don't matter!" Roy hissed, snapping his head back, bright blue eyes piercing into his. But, this time, his seething glare was accompanied by an unguarded fear for what was to come, and Eduardo could only imagine what painful experiences he was reliving, "I would never be able to live with myself if something happens to you, Ed! Just go. Do it for me."_

_Silence fell between the two while Eduardo's heart and mind raced, his feet glued to the floor. A thousand words he wanted to say, a thousand secrets he wanted to unveil._

_He could only give him one._

_"I love you," he whispered, allowing the whole of his body to light up in gold._

_There were times he wished he had never heard Roy repeat the words back._

"You're not a coward," Nathaniel said, squeezing his shoulder just hard enough to shake him out of the recollections, "You're a hero, Ed. You've done far more than most could or would have."

"Yeah, only because they're not alive," Eduardo scoffed, "I might as well just have killed them, the way I save my own skin and leave them to die. They all say the same thing - one of us has to survive. And since I can teleport, the choice seems so obvious to them. But they don't know…they don't know how many times I've seen someone else say the same thing. I don't think I can take that anymore, especially not after Don…"

"…You told Don about the plans, didn't you?" Nathaniel asked, already knowing the answer.

Eduardo nodded, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. If only he was stronger, like the boy… "I told him I was working on the theory the week before. I didn't…I didn't think - "

"Nathaniel? Mr. Dorado?" a small voice peeped behind them and both men swerved around, stares catching onto to the scrawny seven year-old holding a torn up Flash plush Eduardo found in the trash a couple of weeks back, "I'm hungry."

"Are you now, Bart?" Nataniel was the first to respond, giving the boy a gentle smile as he walked up to him, "What would you like to eat? We have some beans and sardines, and Eduardo harvested some potatoes last week, completely untouched by the Reach."

"Potatoes, please," Bart yawned, taking a hold of Nathaniel's pants and leaning onto his leg for support, "I like those."

"Then potatoes it is," the older man said, ruffling the boy's large tuff of chestnut hair, "How about you wait next to Mr. Dorado while I cook them up for you, okay?"

The boy nodded, giving the man's leg a brief hug before scurrying over to Eduardo, "Hi, Mr. Dorado. Did you find anything in the dump today?"

"Not much," he said, using his free hand to scrummage through his pockets, "Just some wires and screws…loose change that can be melted down for scrap metal."

"Daddy said every little bit counts," the boy replied as he took a seat next to him, "Maybe it will help with that time machine you want to build."

Both Eduardo and Nathaniel froze, eyes widening. He cleared his throat and let his next words drawl, "How do you know about that, Bart?"

"Daddy said you were," Bart blinked a few times, as though trying to stay awake long enough to eat, "Before he died."

"Your daddy told you, huh?" a ghost of a smile found its way to his lips, the tears he'd been holding back dropping onto the floor, "Well, guess what, Bart? I _am_ going to build it, soon. Gather all the pieces and everything."

Bart's eyes brightened at his words and now it would take more than a few moments of quiet to get the boy to fall asleep again, "Really? That's so cool, Mr. Dorado! That means Daddy and Mama can come back, right?"

"Them and so much more," Eduardo's heart swelled at the boy's gleeful response. Even if he had witnessed such grotesque atrocities like cold-blooded murder, he still had a child's heart, "We can save the world, little guy."

"Can I help?" Bart jumped off the crate and bounced up and down in front of Eduardo, "Please, please, Mr. Dorado! Let me help! I promise to be good and eat and sleep when Nathaniel tells me too and everything!"

Nathaniel laughed from behind them, stirring up a bowl of mashed potatoes, "Looks like he's all in, Ed. Whattya say?"

And for the first time in over twenty years, he stopped rubbing his fingers against the arrowhead, a brief wave of happiness shooting along his spine.

"Sounds like a plan, _mis hermanos_."


	24. Lian

"Mal, you sure this is a good idea?" Karen tried her best to appear rational, but her boyfriend could see a hint of worry and terror flash across her eyes, considering the consequences of what their circumstance could bring, "This is...we've never...it's a baby!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Mal nodded, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her in for a kiss on the forehead, "It _is_ a baby. But from what Red Arrow has told us, she's a sweet kid. And she's three...or four, which means she's passed that terrible two stage or whatever it's called."

"But Red Arrow isn't the one that called us," Karen reminded him, "And neither was Jade. This just sounds fishy to me. Why would Arse - "

"I know you two haven't seen eye-to-eye in a long time," Mal interrupted while they walked up the stairs of Red Arrow's apartment complex, "But he obviously trusts both of us enough to take care of the kid. Besides, he really doesn't have much options when it comes to dependable, responsible young couples."

Karen rolled her eyes at that, leaning into his touch a little more, "Ain't that the truth. How did we get that title, anyhow? I mean, remember all the crazy situations we found ourselves in high school? Like the one time we spray-painted the opposing stands' side with yellow fairies?"

"Or the night I snuck you out of your house and we made out on the roof of the science building?" Mal smirked at that memory, recalling just how thrilled he was to have Karen squashed up against his body, her fingers and tongue eliciting sensations and emotions he had never dreamed possible...

"Mind out of the gutter now, handsome," Karen swatted at his shoulder, though the twinkle in her eyes didn't go unnoticed as they approached the door, "We're here to take care of a baby, not make one."

"Mmmm...you mind if I take you up on that offer when we get home?" Mal whispered, pushing his head closer to hers, "Those sheets do look really good on you..."

"Mal..." Karen trailed, eyes lidded, her breath soft and light against his face -

"Ugh, gag me," a third voice had their eyes widening like saucers, pulling away from one another as the door swung open to reveal a disgusted eighteen year-old Roy Harper, "There are better places to do that than in front of my door."

Mal chuckled, clearing his throat out while giving Roy an apologetic smile, "Ah, ha...sorry about that, Roy. Just got carried away for a sec."

"And here I thought you two were the most responsible," Roy's stare flashed over to Karen, his obvious disapproval of her company coming off in waves, "But then again, when you're involved with a snitch, unpredictability is bound to occur."

"That was over three years ago, Harper!" Karen hissed, taking a daring step forward. The boy was taller than her now, but Karen still lacked a healthy sense of fear towards most angry men, "Get over it! Your life has been just fine since then. Besides, I've heard the little stories about you and - "

"Okay, where's the kid?" Mal put an arm between the two, unsure how talking about Roy's love life would help the situation. Besides, it wasn't really there place to know, "Don't want you late for anything you gotta do, right?"

The younger boy unlocked his glare from Karen and gave into a weary sigh, directing his attention back to Mal, "Yeah...I have dinner plans. And it's almost been three weeks. I'm sure you know what that feels like."

"Indeed I do," Mal replied.

"Yo, Lian!" Roy called back into the house, "You have visitors!"

A squeal echoed throughout the hallway a tiny footsteps scurried towards the door. Soon, Lian was in plain view, a curious beam stretched across her chubby face and waves of red hair bouncing off her shoulders, "For me, Uncle Roy?"

"For you," Roy said, and Mal couldn't help but grin at the way the boy's face softened as she ran up to meet the trio, "There going to be taking care of you tonight while I'm gone. Mommy and Daddy gave the okay and everything."

"Ooo, okie!" Lian jumped, "When you coming back?"

"It's when_ are_ you coming back and I'll be home around 11," Roy replied, kneeling down to give the kid a firm hug, "But you'll probably be asleep by then, brat. Don't cause too much trouble, okay?"

"I won't!" she stomped a hand against her chest, "Count on me, Uncle!"

"Alright then," Roy smiled again as he ruffled her hair and stood back up, "I'll leave it to you two, then. I...thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome, Roy," Karen replied, eyes much kinder than they had been before, "We'll take good care of her."

"Yeah, you have a good time," Mal nodded, walking into the doorway as Roy walked out, "And tell your friend we say hi. Been awhile since either one of us dropped into the Labs."

"I'll tell him," Roy waved as he hurried down the hall.

Mal closed the door behind them and watched as his girlfriend approached the little Lian. Her smile was dazzling, her hands almost aching to lift the toddler up high into the air, "Hello, sweetheart! I'm Karen and that's Mal. Are you hungry?"

"Mmmhmm," Lian hummed, racing into the kitchen, "Marshmallow and peanut butter sandwich please!"

"Uh...what?" Karen blinked, turning back to Mal, "Did she just say...?"

Her befuddled expression stirred Mal up into a rowdy laugh, taking her hand into his, "C'mon, baby girl. Looks like Arsenal is more of softie than we thought."


End file.
